Daye was going to get minutes irregardless of the injury. With Jerebko out, I think the minutes will increase for CV, Maxiel, and Monroe. Perhaps Summers will get some more minutes, too. I hope the Daye at power forward experiment will be short-lived.

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I don't know why you believe this. 1)Kuester has not shown an inkling that he has learned anything from last year. 2)Kuester would have never let JJ play except for a massive amount of injuries. And even after JJ showed a lot in many, many games, Kuester was ready to throw JJ under the bus as soon as CV came back off injury. The only thing that kept JJ in the rotation was CV's very unsuccessful return from injury. (Talking about Kuester's attempt, as soon as Tay started playing, to ice JJ for the rest of the season. CV's PF is the only thing that kept JJ in the rotation. Please note, that despite JJ doing a pretty good job at small forward in Tay's absence, he saw absolutely no time at small forward after Tay returned. Kuester was going to just stick his head in the sand on it, and pretend he never heard of JJ)

I believe that if eveyone was healthy all this preseason, Daye would be playing 3rd string to CV and JJ. He would show promise in his occasional minutes. But just like last season, Daye would not play. And Monroe, who knows just how little we would have seen of him if CV, and later JMAX, did not have their injuries in the preseason.

With all that said, at this point, Kuester has not announced that he is shortening up his rotation at this point. We should not hear words like that until March. Just keep hoping with me. No way this team is sorted out yet. Lots of players need lots of tryouts in various combinations before Kuester can know which way is the best way to go with this roster.

That includes TMAC, who, if healthy, would be taking every backup minute to Tay that Rip was not already hogging. Daye would have just been lost in the shuffle, by an incompetent coach who can't learn.

That includes TMAC, who, if healthy, would be taking every backup minute to Tay that Rip was not already hogging. Daye would have just been lost in the shuffle, by an incompetent coach who can't learn.

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Is it Kuester's fault that Dumars brought in McGrady? If TMAC is healthy, how can Kuester not play him?

Personally, I think Rip and Tay have to be shipped off before this team can start growing and reverse direction.

Just came back from triple movie showing of HereAfter, Paranormal Activity 2 and Waiting for Superman, so I will review the Piston team report on my DVR in the morning and report anything that we didn't already know....

With JJ's injury, we aren't anywhere near as deep as we were when we first signed McGrady. We want Daye at PF because he's got to play and that's the position of need. But that means McGrady could back up Tay, who the coach finally won't have to feel like he has to play 40 minutes a game. McGrady is clearly a guy the offense can run through (frankly way better than running it through Tay). Tay 30 minutes per game, McGrady 18 could be ideal IF McGrady can actually make it back.

So, if Bynum's hurt, when Stuckey goes out, the team might be fine with McGrady the centerpiece of the offense.

If JJ weren't hurt, then we'd be upset a lot with Daye not getting enough PT.

We have 4 guards who need to play an avg of 34mpg in Stuckey, Bynum, Rip and Gordon. To accommodate this Q has shown that he's willing to play a ton of small ball so these guys (and Tay too) can get their minutes. Get ready to see a lot of 3 guard lineups, a healthy T-Mac further complicates things. In order to accommodate this crap we have to play Daye at PF just to get one of our best players on the floor. GET RID OF A SG for crying out loud, so Daye can get minutes as the backup SG and SF with SPOT minutes at the PF.

You guys might be proved right as the regular season goes along. However, Daye more than held his own in the exhibition season. It's a bit too early to write that off as a good idea.

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Offensively....yes he did.

Defensively.....all I saw on the box scores were 6 personal fouls next to his name each night. Granted he did get some blocks and steals but who knows how long he will be able to stay on the floor each night as a PF.

On the other hand what is better? Making the opposing PF earn 2 points at the charity stripe each possession or having Charlie garbage in and giving up dunks and wide open uncontested 3 pointers? What a terrible position to be in when those are your only choices for PF.

You guys might be proved right as the regular season goes along. However, Daye more than held his own in the exhibition season. It's a bit too early to write that off as a good idea.

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There will be a day when AD will be a guy that can own his competition at either forward spot, that day is not today. Brap, I know you are the forum optimist but do you really think Bosh and Z-Bo will do anything short of mauling the kid in the regular season when the games count?

There will be a day when AD will be a guy that can own his competition at either forward spot, that day is not today. Brap, I know you are the forum optimist but do you really think Bosh and Z-Bo will do anything short of mauling the kid in the regular season when the games count?

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Bosh, KG, Gasol (I don't know who Z-Bo is!) - those guys pretty much maul all their competition, so, yes, I think Daye will struggle against them big time. Two reasons why I don't care that much:

1) Daye is early in his career and his applied skills, his body and his strength will improve a lot over the next 4 or 5 years and then, after a lot of fine BB, after that he'll be entering his prime years. I love it that he's going to get PT and that he'll be learning under fire. We aren't a contender this season, so why not?

2) Daye's going to be a guy who plays a lot of positions. He's clearly capable of being a 2 or a 3, and I think as he gets stronger that he'll be a fine option at the 4. And I see him at times at the 1 - his handle is that good. One way or the other, he's going to get a lot of PT this season. So, if in any particular game he's getting smushed by one of the great PF's, Kuester can, and I think will, move him to another position.

We have 4 guards who need to play an avg of 34mpg in Stuckey, Bynum, Rip and Gordon. To accommodate this Q has shown that he's willing to play a ton of small ball so these guys (and Tay too) can get their minutes. Get ready to see a lot of 3 guard lineups, a healthy T-Mac further complicates things. In order to accommodate this crap we have to play Daye at PF just to get one of our best players on the floor. GET RID OF A SG for crying out loud, so Daye can get minutes as the backup SG and SF with SPOT minutes at the PF.

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Only problem is, that would make sense. Between Dumars and Kuester, little common sense has been show of late.

I like the idea of playing McGrady at power forward while we wait for his speed to get back in his legs. As long as that does not set him back any in his recovery. He can shoot, and has been known as quite a good defender over the years. Just maybe he can handle defending a power forward, letting Daye guard the small forward. Of course, with what we are using - its Tay that is going to get called upon to guard power forwards. And basically, I see disaster written all over this.

The more I think of it, and I am making this all up as I type, hey, just start JMAX and Ben Wallace. Counter intuitive I know with such a shortage of centers. I mean, how can you start JMAX and still cover the center minutes for the whole game?

Have Monroe be the backup center, undersized somewhat as he is. Have CV act as the emergency center, one step behind Monroe on the depth chart. That should still translate into time on the floor for CV as Monroe most likely will be in a lot of foul trouble early in his career.

So, Stuckey, Rip, Tay, JMAX, and Ben Wallace start. A solid defensive team, with a few scorers on it.

Bench, Gordon at point, Tay at shooting guard, Daye at small forward, TMAC at power forward, and Monroe at center.

For 6 minutes each half, Summers plays at small forward, the last 3 minutes of the 1st and 3rd quarters, 1st 3 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters.

End of 1st and 3rd quarter: Stuckey, Rip, Summers, JMAX, Ben Wallace

Start of 2nd and 4th quarters: Gordon, Daye, Summers, TMAC, Monroe.

The "bench", Gordon, Tay, Daye, TMAC, Monroe, play for 6 mintes.

The last 3 minutes of the half, starters come back, but Daye and Gordon stay out there: Stuckey, Gordon, Daye, JMAX, Ben Wallace. (any foul trouble among our bigs, and CV plays these last few minutes of the half.)

In the 2nd half, things change just a bit. For one, we can't afford for Stuckey to be off the floor for an extended period of time, so we rest him at the end of the 1st quarter, bring him back in for the fist 4 and last 4 minutes of the 4th quarter. (Stuckey and Gordon just swap minutes). Monroe and TMAC come on a bit earlier for Ben Wallace and JMAX so the close of games features more of our starters.

In all, thats:

Stuckey: 31 minutes.

Gordon: About 23, will vary by how often Gordon finishes games instead of Rip.

Rip: 26 about.

Tay: About 30

Daye: About 24, notably, none, none what soever, ever, at power forward.

Summers: 12

CV: 12

TMAC: 18

JMAX: 24. CV is going to have to play some of the minutes JMAX can't cover. JMAX is just not built to play extended minutes.

Ben Wallace: 26 (again, just because Ben is getting old, and already is not built for extended minutes, CV will get some of the minutes where you wish Ben Wallace was out there instead.)

Now, players that I am reasonably sure are healthy for Wednesday's game beyond that:

Gordon, Summers, CV, Monroe. (and below rotation will just use these 9)

Others who could possibly play: TMAC, JMAX, Wilcox, Bynum

Definitely injured: JJ, for season maybe, and White, until around Christmas.

I will predict that Kuester will play a total loser of a unit, claiming he was forced by injuries. Nope, forced by his misguided thinking. Anyway, I predict lots of small ball, with Tay sitting early so he can come out and run the 2nd unit. We will see plenty of Gordon, Rip, and Stuckey at the same time, with an already ultra thin power forward in Daye.

What should happen instead: Play Summers when Tay sits. Summers becomes the power forward, with Daye going to small forward - much more sensible of a unit.

With Gordon also possibly not playing Wednesday nite, with a bruised shoulder, (that kept him out of the 2nd half of the Memphis game) got to use a different rotation.

The only guys we can have bring the ball up the floor are Prince, and Stuckey.

So hey, just don't start Tay. Use him as the backup point instead.

Start Stuckey, Rip, Summers, CV, Ben Wallace.

Bench: Tay, Daye, (one of Rip or Stuckey stays on with the bench), Monroe, JMAX

If Q starts Daye at power forward, with virtually no guards to come off the bench, it will be the worst case of forcing a bad decision to get implemented in the history of basketball.

PS, the latest report (see article posted in other thread about Daye) did not list JMAX as injured, so maybe the knee is good to go for Wednesday. (or maybe they are ignoring what is smart just to get bodies to play the game.)